A RACE WITHIN THE RACE AT XTERRA KAPALUA TRAIL RUNS

Four T S Restaurants on Maui are the title sponsors for the XTERRA Kapalua Trail Runs, and employees from those restaurants plan to make the most of the event.

The XTERRA Kapalua Trail Runs will feature three separate courses - the Duke's Beach House XTERRA 10K, the Hula Grill 5K, and the Kimo's Keiki K - and the event is scheduled for Saturday, October 27, with the start and finish at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua.

The "T S Restaurants Challenge" is a race within the race. Four T S Restaurants on Maui (Duke's Beach House, Hula Grill, Kimo's and Leilani's On The Beach) will enter employees in the 10K race. The restaurant with the fastest cumulative times from its top five runners will win a trophy that it can display in its restaurant for the year.

Duke's Beach House won the trophy last year, led by general manager Shaughn Helliar. He said the competition was started "as part of a company-wide wellness program to get more employees out exercising and to increase overall health and fitness of T S Restaurants employees."

He said the perpetual trophy is prominently displayed near the front of Duke's Beach House, and several guests have inquired about it. The trophy also serves as a subliminal reminder for the employees to train for the race.

SOCAL TRAIL RUN SERIES IS UNDERWAY FOR 2012-13 SEASON

Veterans Clark and Faulkner win opener at Point Mugu

Jon Clark and Anissa Faulkner are not just fast for their age. They are fast, period.

They proved it last weekend by winning the XTERRA Point Mugu Trail Run at Point Mugu State Park in Oxnard/Malibu, California. The race, which was the opening event of the 2012-13 season for the XTERRA SoCal Trail Run Series, was completed on Sunday, October 14.

Clark, 39, was the overall winner, completing the 18-kilometer long course in 1 hour, 11 minutes, 41 seconds. He has been an elite runner in the XTERRA SoCal Trail Run Series for several years, although this was his first victory since the 2010-11 season.

"When I was driving up the coast line to get to the race itself, I remember thinking how lucky I was just to be a part of this event because it was such a great day," said Clark, who is from Rancho Santa Margarita. "I knew there was going to be great competition, so I had no thoughts of winning going into this race."

But Clark took the lead in the first mile and stayed in front the rest of the course. James "JJ" Timphony, who won this race last year, placed second with a time of 1:12:14.

"I was running scared the whole time," Clark said. "It was kind of stressful, to be honest, to have him behind me the whole time because I know how fast he is."

Faulkner, 40, was the first overall female with a time of 1:24:16. Like Clark, she has been an elite runner in the XTERRA SoCal Trail Run Series for several years.

WALL, EDWARDS PREVAIL AT RED MOUNTAIN

David Wall and Ali Edwards raced to impressive wins at the inaugural XTERRA Red Mountain Trail Run last weekend.

The event, which was part of the 2012-13 XTERRA Alabama Trail Run Series, was completed on Saturday, October 20, at Red Mountain Park Trails in Birmingham, Alabama.

Wall was the overall winner, completing the 9-mile long course in 1 hour, 11 seconds. "I have never been to Red Mountain before," said Wall, who is 25 and resides in Madison, Alabama. "I was very impressed with how nice the trails are and I plan on going back to explore some of the other trails."

Wall took the lead in the first mile and stayed in front the rest of the course. There have been two races in the XTERRA Alabama Trail Run Series so far in the 2012-13 season, and Wall has won both.

Jame Gardner of Birmingham placed second in 1:06:24, followed by Rhett Russenberger from Madison in 1:10:33.

Edwards actually placed third overall and was the first female with a time of 1:07:37. Unlike the overall winner Wall, Edwards said she had run on the trails at Red Mountain prior to the race.

"I'm familiar with the trails because I regularly attend the Alabama Outdoors group runs there," she said. "In my opinion, the race didn't really begin until mile 6, which was when we hit the technical single track section. That was a challenge!"

XTERRA FLORIDA SERIES WILL BEGIN NEW SEASON ON NOVEMBER 4

The XTERRA Florida Trail Run Series has something for every runner, and the opening race of the 2012-13 season is proof.

The XTERRA Wildhorse Trail Run is set for November 4 at Sydney-Dover Park in Tampa, Florida, and it will be open to runners of all ages and skill levels. To accommodate the various levels of runners, there will be four course options: 13.1 miles, 10 miles, 6.2 miles, and 4 miles.

The 13.1-mile course draws the elite runners, and it received rave reviews last year. “I thrive on technical trails and this was the most technical course I have ever run,” said Kandis Dunn, who won the women’s division last year. “The trail traded back and forth between moguls and narrow single track paths, twisting through Florida pine trees and live oaks with plenty of root action. Nobody will forget the rope areas on the steeper moguls. They were an added challenge to the course that gave us an opportunity to climb with both hands and feet.”

The XTERRA Wildhorse Trail Run will be the first of three in the 2012-13 season for the XTERRA Florida Series. The next two races in the series are scheduled for March and April of 2013, so this will be last chance to run in an XTERRA race in Florida until then.

Every registered runner for the races will be treated to a post-race pancake breakfast.

WIN A FREE 3-NIGHT STAY IN HAWAII

Congratulations to our two most recent winners Chasity R. of Monroe, GA and Terry C of Minneapolis, MN. Here's Another Chance to Win a Free Stay in Waikiki!

Each month through December we will be offering a free 3-night stay for you and a guest at one of Outrigger Hotels and Resort's Hawaiian properties. Sign up today for your chance to win a free 3-night stay in Hawaii at the Outrigger Luana Waikiki on Oahu.

Entries must be received by October 31, 2012 and certificate is good for stays through April 01, 2014.